A Guide to Dressing Your Groomsmen

Bridesmaid’s dresses are a huge topic in the wedding world, but what about groomsmen’s outfits? How should you dress your men for the big day? It can be a little overwhelming considering there’s not really a outfit-picking protocol like there is for bridesmaids—the group outing where all everyone picks out and tries on outfits together, and then chooses what works best considering fit and price. What are the groomsmen supposed to do? How do you even start? We’ve got some tips to dressing your groomsmen that will hopefully take a bit of the men’s dress stress off you.

Know What You Want

The first thing to do when you’re thinking about dressing your groomsmen is to figure out what you want for them. It can be hard sometimes to know exactly what look you’re going for. You and your partner may be vacillating between a few different look options. That’s normal, but you don’t want to wait too long to decide. It can be a slightly forgotten aspect of the wedding, but you’ll be happier if the whole party looks dapper, not just the ladies. Spend a little time figuring out exactly what you want and stick to it.

Corral Early

Groomsmen can be a bit harder to pin down when it comes to what they’re wearing. Since there’s no traditional get together, you’re left trying to talk to each one and explain what to buy and where. If you start this process earlier than you think you need to, you will be in good shape. Wait until the last minute and you’re cooking up a recipe for frustration on both ends.

Try to get your party on the same page. Maybe create a group chat where you can simply lay out exactly what they need to get. If you can plan an outing where you all gather your dudes together, even better! Regardless, get started is with communication ASAP; that way everyone knows what’s expected of them early on.

Pick Something Everyone Can Live With

Consider your different groomsmen. You may have some shorter men or some who are extremely tall. Some may have handicaps that you need to take into consideration. The point is everyone is different so finding the same clothes that fit everyone wonderfully is kind of tough. It’s the same for bridesmaids; you may like an outfit, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s realistic for everyone. You also don’t want to pick something extremely uncomfortable (see the section on dressing for the weather). But seriously, your men will thank you for picking something comfortable and reasonable for everyone. This way everyone’s happy.

Be Realistic on Price

Try to be kind to those in your party who may not be as well-off as the others. It can be hard on someone when your choice is out of their price range. Consider helping them out or avoid having an issue by letting them know way ahead of time so they can save. Be sure to communicate with all your groomsmen about price and try to land on something everyone can afford. If you have champagne tastes, but your groomsmen are all on a beer budget, maybe consider pitching in half the cost or even all. If you’re dead set on a pricey suit then it’s only fair you cover for your expensive tastes.

Just be reasonable. Your friends and family are already shelling out some dough for other wedding activities. You don’t want anyone to be stressed out so just consider taking on some of the burden. Don’t allow something stupid like money woes to disrupt the happy vibes of your wedding.

Consider Going Less Formal

It’s tradition to dress everyone up to the nines when it comes to weddings. Consider all your options though! It might be nice to dress your groomsmen a little down. This doesn’t necessarily mean dress them in sweatpants and a hoodie, just maybe not in a three-piece suit. This is especially appealing if your venue is a little more rustic like a barn location. Your men will look just as nice in button down shirts and nice pants. I’ve seen some pretty cool weddings where the groomsmen wore sneakers; even some where they wore superhero tees under their jackets. Don’t be afraid to change it up.

Dress Your Men for the Weather

You don’t want your groomsmen sweating like hogs or freezing down to their bones. Be considerate when it comes to what they’ll wear in regards to the weather. Guests may have the option of throwing on a sweater or taking one off, but your groomsmen don’t. If you dress them too light or too heavy, there’s not much they can do without looking non-uniform. Likely your groomsmen will say screw it to that heavy jacket in the heat; if you’re going to dress them in a full suit for your outdoor wedding in the middle of July in Texas, you’re going to have sweaty and half-dressed man and you can’t blame him. Plus, you want your men to have a great time at your wedding (and look decent in pictures) so let them live, check the weather, and give them some temperature appropriate options.

The best thing to do for your groomsmen is be simple. Know what your expectations are and communicate those expectations clearly. Make sure everyone knows what to get, find an awesome place to get said things, and get your fittings done earlier than you think you need. Once you have the groomsmen’s outfits taken care of, it’s one less thing to worry about!